Difference Between Rajasthan and Maharashtra

Maharashtra and Rajasthan are two very important states of Union of India that are not only populous, but are also important because of strategic reasons. Whereas as Rajasthan is the largest state in terms of area, Maharashtra is the most populous state of India after U.P having a population of more than 100 million. There are many differences between these two states that will be articulated in this article.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a western state of the country bordering Arabian Sea in the West. It has been an important trade route with foreign countries since ancient times. Mumbai, also known as the financial capital of the country, is the capital of Maharashtra. It is the richest state contributing significantly in the total output of the country. It also has almost 10% of the geographical area of the country.

Marathi is the official language of the state and also the name given to people belonging to the state. However, it remains a cosmopolitan state, especially Mumbai as millions of people reach the place aspiring for greener pastures in their life. Mumbai is also a dream city for thousands who want to become a part of Bollywood, India’s answer to Hollywood.

Maharashtra is one of the leading industrial states of the country with nearly all big companies of the country having their corporate houses in Mumbai. However, development is not even across the state and regions close to Mumbai have shown great development whereas those away from this metro are still under developed.

Despite being one of the most urbanized state, 64% of the populace is engaged in agriculture. Major industries in the state are textiles, petroleum, pharmaceuticals, machine tools, iron and steel and plastic ware.

Majority of the population of Mumbai is Hindu and Lord Krishna (known as Vithal) is the most popular deity. The most famous festival of Maharashtra is Ganesh Utsav.

Rajasthan

Rajasthan is made up of two words raja and sthan which together mean the land of the kings. It was referred to as Rajputana in earlier times. It is a north western state having borders with Pakistan. Rajasthan has Thar Desert along border with Pakistan, and is the largest state in terms of area. It has borders with many other states of the country and is categorized as a state in the Hindi belt of the country. Aravali range, found in Rajasthan, is one of the oldest mountain ranges of the world.

The capital of Rajasthan is Jaipur. Rajasthan was carved out of many princely states from erstwhile Rajputana after independence in 1949. The official language of the state is Rajasthani which is an indo-Aryan group of language. Rajasthan is not an industrial state and it is reflected in the demography also. Agriculture is the major occupation of a vast majority of the population that is known for cash crops such as pulses, sugarcane, cotton, tobacco and oilseeds and edible oils. As far as industries are concerned, major ones are mining and textiles. Rajasthan is the 2nd largest producer of cement in the country.

Of late, Rajasthan has emerged as a preferred destination for IT parks in the country after Bangalore. Northern India’s largest IT Park is situated in Jaipur. Rajasthan is also a very popular tourist destination of the country as it receives tourists not only from other parts of the country but also from many parts of the world.

The population of Rajasthan is mainly Hindu and the place is known for its colorful culture and traditions that reflect ancient Indian lifestyle.

Comparison between Rajasthan and Maharashtra

• While Rajasthan is the largest in terms of area, Maharashtra is not only large; it also has the 2nd largest population among states in the country.

• Rajasthan has the largest desert in India, the Thar, while Maharashtra is a coastal state, bordering Arabian Sea

• Maharashtra is the leading industrial state and one of the most urbanized while Rajasthan is mostly agriculture based

• While Maharashtra has Mumbai, the home of Bollywood, Jaipur the capital of Rajasthan, is a hot tourist destination